Amusement device



June 12, 19 28. I 1,673,631

D. H. MARX AMUSEMENT DEVI CE Filed April 15, 1927 gwvwntoz David H. MarxPatented June 12, 1928.

DAVID H. MARX, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application filed April 15, 1927. Serial No. 184,067.

This invention relates to an amusement device.

The device consists of inoperative or dummy matches associated with aconvontional match container, the whole being 111- distinguishable inappearance from the conventional match and match container. Each matchis made of wood or paper, as the case may be, and is constructed exactlylike the conventional match, and each match is provided with a headwhich is indistinguishable in appearance from the conventional matchhead. The dummy or inoperative matches present an appearance which isindistinw guishable from the conventional match.

The container is preferably provided with an inoperative or dummystriking surface disposed in the conventional manner. The inoperativestriking surface is made to simulate the appearance of the conventionalstriking surface in every respect.

The dummy match striking surface may be eliminated if desired. Or, ifdesired, the striking surface may be real, thus giving the informedperson the opportunity to confuse the person upon whom the trick isbeing played. For this purpose the informed per son may actually strikea real match upon the striking surface after going through the motionsof removing a match from the original container.

Devices embodying the present invention offer good natured, harmless,and pleasant amusement to all the participants. Amuse- 36 ment isderived by the person, who, with knowledge, presents the matches to aperson seeking a light, by observing the discomfiture of. his friend inhis vain efforts to obtain a light. On the other hand the discomliture40 of the other person is converted into pleasurable relief when hediscovers that his failure to obtain a light is not due to any fault ofhis own.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rough intelligencetesting and measuring device. For this purpose the container is providedwith a prominently displayed inscription which is suggestive of the factthat the matches are inoperative.

After one or two attempts to obtain a light or after destroying one ortwo matches in vain, a normal person will examine the package, and onseeing the suggestive 1nscription, he will realize that the matches arenot self-ignitible. The person with a less alert mind and with lessintelligence and with a. lesser power of observation will destroy a goodmany more matches and will make a much greater number of vain attemptsbefore he will associate the inscription with his failures. In thismanner a rough measure of a persons intelligence may be obtained; thenumber of attempts at obtaining a light being inversely proportional tothe persons intelligence.

In the drawings, illustrating one embodiment of the present invention,Figure 1 is a perspective of the dummy matches and the partly opencontainer. perspective rear view of the container.

In the drawings, the container 10, consists of a front portion ll, and aback portion 12. The lower edge of the back portion is provided with theforwardly and upwardly bent flange 13, the matches 14 being held betweenthe back 12 and the flange 13. In the embodiment shown in the drawings,the matches 14 are made of paper in the manner well known in the matchindustry, each match being provided with a head 15 Figure 2 is awhichhas the same size and appearance as real matches, but which is made ofinert material which will not ignite even when it is subjected tovigorous frictional movement over the striking surface on the genuinematch containers. The flange 13 is preferably provided with a layer ofinert material 16 which has precisely the same appearance as the strikesurface on genuine match containers.

As shown in the drawings, one of the outer faces of the container, inthe present instance, the back of the container, bears an inscriptionwhich suggests the idea that the matches are inert or inoperative. Inthe. present embodnnent of the invention the inscription is Thematchless match. Vhile at first glance this inscription does not clearlydisclose the inoperativeness of the matches, one or two unsuccessfultrials to obtain a light will make the meaning of the phrase clear tothe intelligent person, whereas the unintellig'ent person will make agreat many more trials. In this manner the device serves as a test of apersons mental alertness in associating ideas, and of his power ofobservation, the object being to observe the number of trials the personwill perform before he associates the failure of the matches to ignitewith the inscription The matchless match.

If desired, the inscription may be printed on the front portion 11 ofthe container, or again, the striking surface may be disposed at thebottom of the back pm-nan 12 of the container and immediately below theinscription; the object being to have the inscription before the personseyes when he is striking the match. i It will be apparent that while Ihave shown and described my invention in its preferred form, that manychanges and n'iochiications may be made in the structure disclosedwithout departin from the spirit of the invention, defined in thefollowing claims.

l'claim:

1. An amusement device comprising" a pinrality of dummy matches and acontainer therefor having a layer of inert material thereonindistinguishable in appearance from the strike surface of conventionalmatch containers, the dummy matches and container beingindistinguishable in appearance from the conventional matches and matchcontainer. 7

2. amusement device comprising a plurality of dummy matches having headsof inert material, the dummy matches being indistinguishable in apearance from conventional inatches, an a container for said dummymatches having a la er of i'neit material thereon indistinguishable inappearance from the strike surface of conventional match containers. I

3. An amusen'ient device comprising a plurality of dummy matches havingheads made of material indistinguishable in appearance from conventionalmatch heads and a container therefor having a layer of material thereonconstituting the striking surface of the container and indistinguishablein appearance from the striking surface of conventional matchcontainers, the-said match heads being nonignitible under all conditionswhen struck upon said stri k ing surface.

4. An amusement device comprising a filerality of dummy matches havingheadsiniide of material indistinguishiilfile in appearance fromconventional match heads, l1 container therefor having a layer of'niaterial thereon constituting the striking snrlace of the containerand indistinguisl'ialfilc 'in a p'p'ea ifa nce from the striking surfaceof conventional match containers, the said inatch heads he'- ingnonignitible under all 'con'ditions *tvh'tn struck upon said strikingsurface, Wild *a legendary inscription on said eomaiiieisuggestive ofthe non-igniriU-iiity 6f Silltl nnitches.

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New York and State of Net Ydrk this 14th tib

